Kansas City News Blog

Attorney Kevin Baldwin (pictured) may act like an asshat -- as David Martin wrote earlier this week in his look at how Baldwin has handled the press while representing Shone Pernice, husband of missing white woman Renee Pernice -- but he's also a winner.

Baldwin didn't have time to talk to Martin about the Pernice case. Guess he was busy defending an Ethiopian cab driver accused of raping a woman.

Baldwin's office sent out a press release yesterday celebrating the not-guilty verdict that his client received from a Platte County jury.

Baldwin's client, Mohammad Miticha, picked up a woman from the Power & Light District in his cab. Miticha drove the woman to her apartment in Platte City. Oops! She didn't have cab fare. But this is where it gets sticky. Ew.

Miticha's side says: The broke-ass woman invited him into her apartment to wait for her roommate, who'd pay the rest of the fare. One thing led to another, and Miticha and the woman had consensual sex.

The woman's side: Miticha raped her.

Baldwin and attorney Eric Vernon pointed out that Miticha had the woman's digits in his cell phone. The press release says the woman couldn't explain to the jury why Miticha had her cell number.

"It's unusual when the defendant in a case asks for his cell phone to be examined by the FBI to show the existence of evidence that will help him," Vernon said in the statement. "However, in this case, the FBI's regional crime lab report supported Mr. Miticha's claim."

"This is one of those cases where the overwhelming physical evidence supported Mr. Miticha's version of the events which had remained unchanged since his arrest and incarceration that August night," Baldwin said in the release. He also praised the work of the Platte County Sheriff's Deputies and Platte County Police Department.

His relationship with the Kansas City Police Department hasn't had the same spirit of cooperation, as Martin reported.